Rainy Days
by 3picAnime
Summary: Two best friends. One boy. Enough said. READ.
1. Chapter 1

**No funny business, sadly. V.V 100% romantic? I don't know, it's my first shot without humor.=D This is for you XxKiaStarXx!**

* * *

The rain clattered against the window. Marron looked outside worriedly. How was she supposed to get home in this dangerous weather? She was in West City with her friends. There was no possible way to fly-she might struck by lightning!

"Well, I think it might be time to head home and hit the hay," Goten said as he folded his arms behind his head. Goten stretched and yawned. "It's getting pretty late, come on, Pan."

"Okay," Pan said. She wasn't going to hesitate, Pan was also tremendously tired. Her grandma wouldn't be pleased if she came back later than 10:00 pm. Pan and her uncle slipped out of the booth and headed for the doorway.

"Well, we best get going, Bulla," Trunks said as he exited from the booth. He slipped on his coat and motioned Bulla to get going as he buttoned up his jacket. Bulla yawned and followed her brother drowsily with Marron following behind.

Outside, Goten got into the capsule car with Pan and started the engine. The headlights flicked on and it was the only other light source there was besides the diner they just came from. Inside the car, Pan was shivering, but she managed a wave good bye. Goten smiled and backed up the car and started to head home.

Beside Trunks, Bulla shivered as well and clicked a capsule and threw it where Goten and Pan were just at. After the purple smoke subsided, Bulla ran from the cover of the overhang to the warmth of her car.

Turning around, Trunks noticed that Marron didn't have a ride home.

"How are you going to get home?" he asked with his hands in his pockets. A drop of water fell right onto his nose and he wiped it away.

"I don't know. I was supposed to fly, but. . ." Marron muttered. She looked at the ground. It was freezing and Bulla honked the horn.

"Here, I'll drive you home," Trunks said as he slipped out a capsule. He motioned for Bulla to go home and she gladly did. Bulla wasn't going to waste a second to go back to her warm, comfortable shelter. As Bulla drove off, Trunks' capsule exploded and an identical air car took its place. He slipped off his jacket and put it around Marron and they both made a run to the car. Trunks opened the passenger door for Marron and then jogged to the other side and got in himself.

"Thanks, Trunks," Marron said as she shivered from the cold. Quickly, Trunks flicked on the headlights and turned the heat on. Then, they took off towards Roshi's island.

They rode the rest of the way in silence. Trunks was really tired, but he managed to keep the air car straight. Marron's eyes were on the road, but it slowly moved towards Trunks' face. His blue eyes were so kind and gentle. Marron couldn't believe she hadn't realized this, but Trunks was _cute_.

Trunks took a curious glance at Marron and she quickly directed her head forward. She couldn't help but take some peeks at his delicate face. Minutes went by and Marron's eyes quickly began to close in the coziness of her friend's coat. Yes, _friend's_. Marron couldn't call him anything more. She knew he hasn't had a girlfriend yet and she knew he probably won't have one at all. Drowsily, her eyelids became heavier and heavier until she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.

They arrived at the island and Trunks turned to look at Marron, but she was already fast asleep. The only other choice was to pick her up and bring her into the house, but he didn't want to. At least not yet. Nesting comfortably in his jacket, Marron slept soundly. She looked like an angel to Trunks. Of course, he had to get home, so he opened the door and exited the car. Quickly, he walked to the other side and removed Marron from the car. She groaned and shifted in Trunks' arms. He couldn't help, but blush.

Before the rain could irritate her, Trunks walked to the door and rang the doorbell with his foot. 18 opened the door angrily since it was 10:34. Her blue eyes opened widely.

"Is she dead?!" 18 shouted as she touched Marron's face. "Marron! Can you hear me?!"

"Shh. . . She's sleeping," Trunks whispered after 18 had calmed down. "She fell asleep."

"Oh," 18 muttered. "Bring her upstairs to her room, please." She stood aside so Trunks could do as she said. Trunks nodded and stepped inside the warm house. Slowly, Trunks elevated the steps. He didn't want to go too fast, otherwise Marron would wake up.

At one point, she stirred. Finally, he set her gently on her bed. He shifted and moved the covers so she'd be warm. Trunks smiled and stood there for a few moments, hesitant. He shook his head several times and walked back and forth. In the end he decided. He knelt down beside Marron and gently kissed her softly on the lips.


	2. Chapter 2

Marron opened her eyes to the bright ray of sunshine that welcomed her. She swore she felt something last night. A kiss possibly? Or that old ratty Roshi. Marron rolled over, unaware that she still had Trunks' jacket wrapped around her.

"Marron? Are you in there?" 18 asked. She didn't wait for a reply, she barged right in. "What are you doing?"

"I just woke up, Mom," Marron said as she wiped the sleep out of her eyes. She sat up and Trunks' jacket slipped off.

"Take a shower," 18 said while fanning her nose playfully. Marron smiled. "That Trunks boy brought you home." 18 crossed her arms, smiled, and leaned against the doorway. "What did you guys do last night?" 18 asked.

Marron's eyes opened wide. "Ew! No, I'm not like that, Mom!" Marron shouted. 18 laughed.

"Just take a shower and brush your hair. Bulla called. She wants to see you," Marron's mother said as she left her room.

_I guess I'll go take a shower_, Marron thought as she stood up and walked to her dresser. Shopping with Bulla meant long walks, so Marron decided to wear something comfortable. She picked out a pink t-shirt and a pair of jean shorts. Marron cautiously exited her room, watching out for that old pervert. Quickly, she ran on her tip-toes to the bathroom and locked the door.

As she soaked in the warm water, she thought about the night before. Marron had fallen asleep and somehow winded up in her bedroom. Did her mother pick her up or did Trunks? She shivered and blushed, even though he wasn't here. If he was, she'd beat the tar out of him because she was in the shower! Marron shook her head and turned off the water. She reached out and grabbed her fluffy pink towel and wrapped it around herself.

Her stepped out of the shower and looked at herself in the mirror. Her blue eyes were big and innocent; she even might've thought it was pretty. Her hair was shoulder-length, the way 18 had wanted it. Marron sighed and got dressed. Why did she care about her looks now? She didn't have the money to buy new clothes or makeup.

She swung open the door and stepped out, but Master Roshi showed himself and started drooling.

"Get out of my way, you old man!" Marron shouted angrily. Her face turned hot and she had her fist clenched and ready for action!

"I was just passing by," Master Roshi said dreamily as he reached out, but Marron socked him in the face, _hard_. Girls have to know these things, alright. On top of that, Marron had a year of training with 18, so the punch was much harder than Bulma's.

Marron walked to her room, groaning. She had to deal with this every day. She didn't understand why her parents didn't move out yet. They had a lot of zenny they won at the World Martial Arts Tournament, for crying out loud!

Marron unraveled the pink towel from her head and began to brush her tangled blond hair. She didn't bother to blow dry it, since it was already so hot out. The sun would do the work for her.

She looked at her reflection and saw Trunks' jacket lying on her bed. The memories rushed back to her. It was a kiss, wasn't it? Marron was 100% sure. She blushed at the thought _Trunks _might have kissed her. She shook her head. It was her best friend's brother! Best friends don't do things like that.

As much as she wanted to keep the jacket, she knew Trunks would ask for it sometime. Marron stood up and picked up the jacket gently. She lifted it to her face and smelled it.

_Well, I guess it's time to go_, Marron thought as she held the jacket tighter. She opened her window to reveal a nice summery breeze. Marron leaped out and began flying towards West City.

Up high in the sky, Marron admired the view. Green luscious mountains were in the background with the crisp blue sky. It was beautiful. Marron aimed herself down and landed on the front step of Capsule Corporation. With a light knock, Mrs. Briefs opened the door.

"Oh, hi, Marron!" Mrs. Briefs greeted. "Come inside! Bulla is getting ready. Would you like anything to eat?"

"No thank you, Mrs. Briefs," Marron answered politely. She trailed off into Bulla's room and knocked.

"Come in!" Bulla shouted.

Marron turned the doorknob.

"Marron!" Bulla exclaimed. She dropped her eye shadow palette and ran to Marron to give her a hug. "I'm glad you could make it!"

"Yeah," Marron said while hugging Bulla back. "Here's your brother's jacket. I think he accidently left it at my place." Marron handed over the jacket.

"Ooooh. What were you guys doing?" Bulla winked at Marron. While blushing, Marron looked away.

"We did nothing of a sort. He just dropped me off at home," Marron replied. Her face was still red hot.

"I know something happened," Bulla taunted. "I can see it in your eyes." Marron would do anything just to get a punch in Bulla's face, but she controlled her anger and changed the subject.

"Is Pan coming?"

"I hope so. Don't change the subject, Mar-Bear!" Bulla said sternly.

Marron frowned, admitting defeat. There was no way to beat the Sassiest Saiyan who ever lived. "I don't know, but I feel like someone kissed me last night. It was probably Master Roshi," Marron said. Her cheeks were burning and there was no way to hide it.

"Master Roshi was here last night, you know. He was meeting up with Oolong, I think," Bulla recalled. "It must've been Trunks!" Marron looked at Bulla surprised.

Marron was stunned. She was shocked, but felt relief as well. Now she knows an old man didn't kiss her last night-a handsome, young man did.

"Hey, guys! What up?" Pan said loudly as she entered Bulla's room. Marron face-palmed herself and braced herself.

"Guess what, Pan?!" Bulla shouted. She was going to burst.

"What?"

"Trunks. Kissed. Marron!" Bulla squealed.

Pan froze. "Uh, that's nice."

"Isn't it great?! I can already hear the wedding bells!"

Pan nodded, unable to speak. She looked over at Marron who was hiding her face. "What do ya say we go get somethin' to eat?"

"Yes!" Marron shouted, a little too loud.

"Okay, then, let's go. I can do my makeup later," Bulla said as she tossed Trunks' jacket aside. Marron inhaled sharply as it touched the ground.

"What are you waiting for, slowpoke?" Pan said as she pushed Marron out the door. Marron was unaware she had stopped walking.

_So Trunks likes blonds. I guess I'll have train and become a Super Saiyan then_, Pan thought as she gritted her teeth. Pan wasn't going to back down without a fight. Trunks belonged to her!


	3. Chapter 3

Throughout the whole day, Bulla was blabbing on and on and on about the future of Marron and Trunks. Pan was a bit annoyed, but she tried not to show it. There was still time to win Trunks' heart. As much as she cared for Marron, Pan saw him first! Technically, not really, but you know what she means, right?

Pan landed in front of her house. She didn't wait a second. Using her super-sonic speed, she dashed inside to the bathroom.

45 minutes past and she was still in the bathroom.

"Pan, are you in there?" asked Gohan.

"Yes!"

"What are you doing in there?"

"I'm trying to go Super Saiyan!"

"What?! In the bathroom?!" Gohan shouted as he leaped back. "Why on earth do you need to use the bathroom in order to go Super?!"

"Because every time you guys go super, you look like you're constipated! So I'm trying to act like I'm constipated."

Gohan turned around and looked at Videl. He motioned for her to come over and deal with Pan.

* * *

In the Briefs' residence, Bulla was happily skipping to her bedroom. She longed to tell Trunks that she knew what happened, but he was at work. Bulla tossed the bags aside and reached for her cell and dialed her brother's number. It took a few moments before he picked up.

"What?" he asked harshly. "I'm at work."

"Yeah, I know, bro."

"Then why are you calling? I'm a bit busy."

"You always ditch work. You can't be busy."

The other end of the phone was silent.

"What do you want?"

"I heard you kissed Marron last night."

There was another pause.

"Yeah, right. Who told you that? Goten?"

"No."

"Bulla, I really have to get back to work."

"Ooooh, you like Marron!"

"Bye."

"Bye, Trunks."

Bulla lied on her bed, staring at the ceiling. So many things were running through her mind. Trunks liked Marron for sure, but how can she hook them up? And where? By the sound of Trunks' voice, he sounded a little nervous and surprised. She was definitely onto him. Then, an idea formed in her mind. Bulla smiled mischievously. She needed Goten's help.

* * *

When Marron landed, she saw Master Roshi watching TV through the front window. She sighed and walked inside and to her room without a word. Even from upstairs, she could hear the old man laughing his head off.

She set down the bag of new clothes gently and began to think of what to do next. Days out in the ocean were boring. There were no people there except her family and Roshi. Marron was lucky she had a cellphone.

The vibrator went off and Marron walked to her pink phone. It was a text from Bulla.

~*X*~

Bulla: hey marron wats up?

Marron: oh hi bulla. nothing. i'm just bored

Bulla: hey meet me at that schmancy diner in downtown ok?

Marron: y?

Bulla: stop thinking, just do it. wear something nice too

Marron: ok. . . . .

~*X*~

Marron picked out her favorite dress and walked into the bathroom once again.

* * *

Inside the official Capsule Corporation building, Trunks received a text message as well. It was from Goten.

~*X*~

Goten: sup buddy?

Trunks: im still at work. Mom told me to not ditch so here I am :(

Goten: man, that sucks. Hey come to that fancy diner

Trunks: ew, is this a date? no, goten, just no

Goten: XD no not like that man just come u need to take a chill pill anyway =-=

Trunks: I guess I can ditch today

Goten: good cya latr

Trunks: Bye

~*X~

"Uncle Goten, what are you doing?" Pan asked as she came out of the bathroom.

Goten turned around and leaped back. "PAN WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HAIR?!"

Pan blinked and touched her _blond _hair. "What wrong with it?"

"You had black hair before. How?!"

"It's just temporary dye. Haven't you seen it before?" Pan asked, a little annoyed.

Goten flipped. He thought she'd gone Super Saiyan. If she did, she'd be whooping butts. "Well, yeah. I gotta go."

"Where?"

Goten grinned, "Bulla and I are hooking up Marron and Trunks."

Pan's heart stopped. She loved Trunks more than anything, but was too tomboy to show it to him. Pan had to find a way to stop this date.

"Can I come?"

"No, you're too little."

"I'm sixteen, what are you talking about?!"

"I'm just kidding. Gosh, Pan, can't you take a joke?"

Pan smirked. "Be right back." She ran upstairs, looked under her bed, and grabbed the bag of emergency prank water balloons. Before anyone saw, she stuffed it inside her pocket and tied a sweat shirt around her waist so it wouldn't be seen. It was time for action!

* * *

Marron was recently given a capsule from Bulla and was riding it to the restaurant. Trunks was on his way as well, but in a limo. Bulla, Pan, and Goten were already there.

"Okay, we want to make this night as romantic as possible, you got it?" Bulla ordered. The waiters and waitresses nodded and went right to work, finishing up the preparations.

"I need to use the bathroom," Pan said. She started doing the pee dance.

"Again?" Goten asked.

Pan rushed into the bathroom and checked if anyone was there. When she knew the coast was clear, she reached into her pocket and pulled the bag out. One by one, she wrapped the opening on each faucet. Then she turned them all on and began filling the water balloons.

Marron entered the restaurant in a knee-length pink dress. Her blond hair was tied up in a bun and she wore the heels Bulla had bought her previously. Marron walked up to the front desk nervously.

"Do you have a reservation?" the man asked. He had a funny-looking, bushy mustache that reminded Marron of Mario.

"I think so. I'm supposed to be here with Bulla Briefs. I'm Marron," Marron said.

"Oh, yes. Okay, right this way," the man said as he guided Marron to a private room. A crystal chandelier hung above the table. There were two expensive-looking chairs and two dining sets. "Briefs will be here in just a moment, I presume." And with that, that man left, leaving Marron alone in the room.

The man arrived back at the front desk just as Trunks came in. He was well-dressed, as usual.

"I'm supposed to be here with Goten Son. I guess he made a reservation?" Trunks said. He took off his fake glasses and slipped it into his pocket.

"Oh yes, you are Mr. Trunks Briefs?" the man asked. "Come this way."

The man led Trunks through the restaurant and to the room Marron was waiting at. Trunks stopped in his tracks when he laid eyes on Marron. Her eyes were wide and she was blushing, so was Trunks.

"Trunks?!"

"Marron?!"

"What are you doing here?!" they both shouted at each other.

* * *

**Pan + Waterballoons + Date = What? Find out next time! =D  
**


	4. Chapter 4

Before any of them could walk away, the waiters and waitresses came and delivered the food. Goten wore a fake mustache and the waiter's uniform. He grabbed Trunks and pushed aside and Bulla caught him in a chair and pushed it so he reached the table.

"Uh, Marron, do you know what's going on?" Trunks asked nervously and the rest of the waiters and waitresses set down the last of the food. Marron shook her head quickly. She couldn't speak.

"Enjoy," the last waiter to exit out of the room said.

Trunks blinked and stared at Marron, wondering if she had planned this out with Goten and Bulla. Marron thought the same thing, just the other way around. They're gaze locked on each other for a moment before Bulla burst into the room with a microphone. A bunch of husky guys brought in speakers and connected the microphone to them.

The couple sat there, eyes wide in awe –actually, not really. It was more of a 'WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING HERE?!'.

"This first song is dedicated to the young couple over there," Bulla said in her best Elvis Presley voice. She lifted her arm up and pointed to Marron and Trunks. The oldest Briefs son face-palmed himself and sighed. He knew it was Bulla's fault he was here.

Bulla actually wasn't a bad singer –she was definitely better than _Bulma_. She was singing 'You Belong with Me' by Taylor Swift as Marron and Trunks dined. Trunks didn't exactly eat; he played with his food with his fork. Marron giggled softly. She was actually enjoying the date.

Trunks slowly looked up and saw Marron's cute, shy smile, which made him smile. Marron tilted side to side –to the beat of the music.

Up above, meaning up in the ceiling where the air vents ran through, Pan carefully crawled through with her sweatshirt full of water balloons. She had stuffed them in the sweatshirt she had tied around her waist, making Pan look very fat. Very fat indeed.

Pan peeked through the vent, seeing if it was the room Trunks and Marron were in, but sadly for her, it was the Men's room. The vent was placed right above the stalls, giving a clear view.

"Ew!" Pan yelped and a water balloon slipped out from under her sweatshirt. It fell right onto the vent and popped, sending the residue down below. Pan quickly covered her mouth to stop herself from yelling again.

"What the heck?! Ew, what is this stuff?" a man cried as he pulled up his pants. "Grrr."

Pan crawled quickly to the next air vent, hoping it was the correct one and it was. _I don't want to do __**that **__again_, Pan thought as she unloaded the water balloons. Once she had then in a pile, she unscrewed the air vent. _Perfect_, she thought. Bulla's back was toward Pan and the 'love birds' were in the middle. Luckily, the chandelier blocked Trunks' view of the air vent. Marron was at an angle so she couldn't see Pan.

"I got a text from Bulla that she was supposed to meet me here," Marron said as she sipped her lemonade. She made her best glare at Bulla, but she just shrugged and continued singing the next song.

Trunks spit out his Coke. "What?! Goten said he'd meet **me **here!"

Just then, water balloons were chucked out of nowhere. Their target: Marron.

Marron shrieked as the icy cold water touched her back and the rest of her body. She tried to block it, but then the balloons started to go towards her face, ruining her mascara.

"Stop!" Marron shouted as she tried to protect herself.

Trunks stood up and grabbed the table cloth with both hands and dashed in front of Marron. He held it up as a shield. The balloons popped as they met contact with the table cloth.

_Ugh, am I too late? No, I can't be. I'll have to try something else, _Pan thought as she threw the last water balloon. Swiftly, she screwed the vent back on and crawled down the way she came from.

"Oh, no," Marron said as she covered her mouth. She was in tears. If Trunks saw her like this, he'd probably won't like her anymore. Kicking off her heels, she ran to the Ladies' room. Marron pushed waiters aside as she made her way to the bathroom with her hands over her eyes.

She pushed through the door and looked at herself in the mirror. Marron looked awful. The black substance trailed down her face along with tears and water. Her favorite silk dress was in ruins. Marron wiped her eyes with her arm. The messy bun she made was now clumped and droopy –even more messy. Marron ran into the bathroom, locked the stall, and balanced herself on the toilet and cried. 'Teardrops on My Guitar' played on the speaker in the bathroom. It made Marron cry harder.

Pan dropped out from the vent she came in through. The one behind the restaurant. She dusted herself off and walked to the front entrance and acted like nothing happened. Sneaking past the front wasn't that hard; it was a good thing she was pretty short. Finally, Pan walked into the private room where Bulla was yelling at the owner of the restaurant.

"What's the meaning of this?!" she cried as she pointed to the bits of water balloons. "Is this some kind of prank because it's not funny!"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Briefs, we will investigate this right now! I've called the cops. It's probably some juvenile delinquent."

Bulla spun on her heels and walked up to Pan.

"This is the worst date I've ever planned! Who would want to ruin Marron and Trunks' **perfect **night?" Bulla asked fiercely.

"I don't know," Pan replied. She tilted to the side so she could see the room. Broken glasses and plates scattered across the floor. Brightly colored bits of balloons infested the walls and the floors.

"Ugh, where's Goten?" Bulla asked. She was still mad. Bulla left without an answer and began searching for the youngest Son.

Trunks was alone in the room sitting on a chair, staring at Marron's heels. Pan smiled and walked right in.

"Hey, Trunks," Pan said. "What's wrong? What happened?" she asked like she was innocent.

"I have no clue. Water balloons started going everywhere. Where's Marron?" Trunks asked as he looked up. He saw Pan's blond hair, but didn't freak like Goten did. Trunks' mind was on Marron.

Pan shrugged and walked around the room with her hands in her pockets. Trunks stood up and sighed.

"Dates aren't my thing," Trunks joked. Pan had her hands clasped behind her back and she turned her head and looked at Trunks.

"You're a pretty cute guy, Trunks. No wonder girls fall for you," Pan said as she walked towards him.

"Huh. Of course they do," Trunks said sarcastically.

"No, they really do."

In the Women's room, Marron had locked the bathroom and began wiping off her make up with the paper towels. It wasn't the best choice, but there weren't many options either. She undid her bun and let the hair fall to her shoulders. Marron stared at herself in the mirror, wondering if she looked okay or not. She finally decided, unlocked the bathroom door, and walked out to public.

_It's alright, Trunks will think I look fine_, Marron thought positively. She managed a small smile before entering the room. Marron felt a little kick in her heart –joy. Optimistic thoughts clouded Marron's head and she had even more confidence than she thought she did. One last turn and she'll arrive in the room.

Marron wished she hadn't come that night. She wished she just stayed in that bathroom for eternity. She wished that she never even existed because she was too shocked of what she saw. Marron stood in the doorway watching Trunks and some chic making out. The girl was blond and short.

All those thoughts left Marron's mind and the tears that she's been fighting back came out. Anger boiled inside of her and she clenched her fists. She didn't know what to feel. Marron squeezed her eyes shut and screamed.

"I HATE YOU, TRUNKS!"

Quickly, Trunks and Pan looked up, just in time to see Marron take off. She was even more violent this time. She shoved past the waiters and waitresses and jumped through the window, sending glass shards everywhere. She leaped into night's dark embrace and headed home.

The whole way there, she let herself scream until her throat was raw. She sent out ki blasts at mountains, blowing them up to pebbles. She let herself cry. She let herself get mad.

When Marron got home, 18 asked what happened. Marron ignored her and charged upstairs. 18 watched as Marron dashed up with no shoes on. Something must be up.

_Let her have some alone time. Humans, so many complications_, 18 thought. She went off to bed as well, leaving Marron upstairs crying herself to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

The bell rang and all the kids flooded inside the school, rushing to their lockers to retrieve their books. Marron walked up to hers and punched in the combination. She reached and grabbed out her books with aggressiveness. Marron still hated Trunks.

_ I'll never forgive him,_ Marron thought angrily as she shut her locker. She spun on her heels only to come face-to-face with Trunks.

Marron's expression hardened.

"Mar-" he began, but Marron pushed him aside and continued you walking down the hallway. She never acted this way. Love was driving her life.

Trunks turned his head and watched as Marron walked off into her first period classroom. He didn't know what to do. It was Pan's fault, not his.

Nervously, Pan crept up behind him. She hugged herself and she was shaking. Pan was scared.

"Trunks?" Pan whispered.

Trunks didn't look back. His expression was blank. How could this girl come up to him? She was selfish. She was a jerk. She ruined his life.

"J-just go away, Pan," he said.

"But, Trunks, I'm sor-"

"Apologies aren't enough, Pan. J-just leave me alone. Don't even talk to me."

"Trunks!"

Ignoring all Pan's pleads, Trunks stalked off and walked to his classroom.

Pan sank to her knees and started crying. Students around her began to stare and that only made Pan cry harder. She lost two friends in less than a week. What type of person was she? Pan gripped her hair and pulled on it. Her eyes were squeezed shut.

Down in the first floor, Bulla opened her locker and retrieved her math text book. Behind her someone chuckled and Bulla slammed her locker shut.

"What do you want, Valese?" Bulla asked without turning around.

"I want you to back off my Goten."

That ticked off Bulla. "Who said Goten was my boyfriend, Catwoman?!" Bulla shouted in Valese's face. Valese's eye twitched and she punched Bulla on the side of her face. Her fingers were laced with rings, making the punch even more painful.

"What did you say?" Valese asked evilly. There was no one around. This end of the school was already in session and Bulla forgot to get her math textbook.

Bulla lied on the floor rubbing her cheek. She felt streaks of blood trailing down her face. Bulla was sure this jerk scraped her skin clean off. Valese looked down at Bulla and smirked.

"You jerk," Bulla muttered and threw her own fist at Valese's pretty little face, but she easily dodged it and flung her hand out at Bulla's neck. Her hand wrapped around Bulla's thin neck and Valese shoved her against the locker.

"Don't worry. When you're gone, Goten will surely miss you," Valese cooed sarcastically.

_Darn, me! Why didn't I train with Dad?! Then I can whoop this cat's booty and get out of here! _Bulla thought as she desperately searched for oxygen. Then something came back to her.

* * *

_Flashback_

_ "If someone has you by the neck, use your knee. They're too concentrated on upper part of their body, so aim for the abdomen," Vegeta had told her, but apparently, Bulla was checking out her nails. "Bulla, you have to listen! This can save you from a life or death situation!" Vegeta shouted as he grabbed Bulla's hand._

_ "Alright, Dad, jeez. It's not like I'm going to be assaulted any time soon," she had said._

_End of Flashback_

* * *

_Alright, let's put that lesson into motion, _Bulla thought and she kneed Valese in the gut, sending her flying back in the hallway. Valese's body skidded across the smooth floor.

"You really think you're that good, don't you Valese? Well, not anymore," Bulla smirked as she picked up her books.

"Ms. Briefs, go to the front office. Now."

Bulla looked up and saw her teacher. Her blue eyes grew wide as she put the pieces together. Bulla insulting Valese. Valese on the floor. Teacher yelling at Bulla.

"B-but it wasn't my fault!"

"I saw the whole thing, now go!" In fact, her teacher did not see the _whole _thing. Only the part where Bulla had triumphed and owned Valese.

Bulla dragged her feet as she walked to the front office. She looked over at Valese who grinned devilishly. Oh, she was going to get it, alright!

The bell rang for the next class period and Marron grabbed her backpack and made her way to the girl's locker room.

_How am I going to deal with Trunks if he starts to butter the bread, _Marron thought to herself as she walked down the aisles. She shook her head and started changing into her gym clothes.

"Where's Bulla?" one of the girls asked.

Marron paused from tying her shoes.

"I don't know. I heard she beat up Valese pretty bad."

That wasn't it! Marron knew the truth! Ever since preschool, Valese had always been mean to Bulla for some unknown reason. Marron resumed tying her shoe and made her way onto the field.

Shading her eyes with her hand, Marron scanned the area, hoping to find Bulla somewhere. As she did, she made eye contact with Trunks. Instinctively, Marron closed her eyes and crossed her arms. The teacher blew the whistle. PE has begun.

"Okay, kids. Today we will be playing soccer! Who has played soccer before?" the teacher asked as all the kid's hands shot up except for Trunks and Marron. They never had time for sports. They were already fit enough. The teacher looked at all the hands in the air and saw that Trunks and Marron were the only ones who didn't raise their hands. "Okay, how about this. Marron, you're a team captain, and Trunks, you're a team captain."

Was this just a coincidence, or did their teacher know what was happening between them? Marron shook that thought out of her mind and switched into game mode.

After they had settled their teams, it was time to play.

"Ready? Set? Go!" the teacher shouted before he blew the whistle.

Trunks' team started out with the ball. One of his team mates passed to another team mate, but Marron intercepted and started running with the ball ahead of her. Trunks smirked and dove in and stole the ball from Marron and perfectly passed the ball to one of the kids playing offense with no interceptions.

"Whoa, Marron, Trunks, are you sure you never played soccer before?" the teacher asked, obviously surprised at the two's skills.

"I'm sure," Trunks said.

Ten minutes passed and Trunks' team was in the lead by 3. One of Marron's team mate shouted, "Marron, here!"

The ball flew over her head and Marron chased after it. Trunks as well. Remembering that Trunks had stolen the ball from her once, Marron maneuvered the ball, so he wouldn't get it again. When she was close enough, she kicked the ball at full force and shot it into the goal.

"Wooh!" Marron shouted with both hands in the air.

"Nice shot, Marron," Trunks said as he clapped.

"Yeah, you wish you could shoot as good as. . ." Marron cut herself off, reminding herself of what happened the previous night.

"What's wrong?"

"You're wrong!" Marron shouted in his face. She had to tip-toe since he was so tall.

"What do you mean? It wasn't my fault!"

"Oh yeah? Then why the heck were you sucking that blond chic's face, huh? Tell me!"

"You don't get it! It was Pan! She kissed me!"

"Pan wasn't even there last night! Stop making up lies!"

"Break it up you two," the teacher said as he pulled Trunks and Marron away from each other. "What's the matter?"

Trunks knew Marron never lies, so it was up to him to make up one.

"I just thought she scored while she was in the goalie box."

"Oh, I don't think so, but it was pretty close. Back to the game!"

After PE, every single girl in the girl's locker room was crowding around Marron, asking questions.

"What happened between you and Trunks?"

"Were you guys dating?"

"How come you're so mad at him?"

"I know it wasn't just the game."

Marron blushed from all the attention. This is why she never wanted to be popular. She wasn't that type of girl.

"Okay, girls, that's enough mobbing for today!"

Marron looked up hopefully, hoping that the blue-haired wonder had shown up.

"Bulla, where have you been?"

"What happened to your face?"

"I've heard rumors about you and Valese."

Bulla ignored them like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Bulla? What happened?" Marron asked. There was a thick cotton swab on the side of Bulla's cheek.

"I'll tell you at lunch, but first, let's get outta here," Bulla said as she grabbed Marron and dragged her out into the hallway.

Pan wandered in the hallways, feeling unwanted. Fast footsteps started echoing off the side of the walls. She looked up to find Marron and Bulla running, but why?

"HEY, WE WANT TO KNOW, TOO!"

"GET BACK HERE! I'M THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO KNOW!"

"NO, ME! I HAVE TO KNOW!"

Pan's eyes widened as Bulla grabbed her hand.

"What's going on?" she asked as she ran.

"We're being mobbed!" Marron shouted nervously.

There was an open window at the end of the hall and Bulla looked at Pan and Marron, her expression saying, _wanna jump?_

Pan grinned and Marron sighed of relief. School was way to wild right now. They formed a line, Bulla in front, Marron second, and Pan last. Bulla dived through the window and took off with Pan and Marron following behind.

_I wonder if Marron found out yet_, Pan thought. _If she did, I bet she'll hate me for life._

* * *

**Okay, I don't know a lot about soccer, forgive me. u.u I'm just going to call it the goalie box. =D Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I know, ._. everyone is like, when is she going to update?! Sorry for the inconvinience. =(**

* * *

"So what happened _exactly_?" Marron asked. Her blond hair whipped across her face.

"I went to get my math textbook and this happens," Bulla said while pointing to her cheek. Her tone had no emotion -almost like monotone. "Some might say, I whooped her tiny, little, cat booty," she smirked.

"Oh," Marron muttered.

"So what's up with you, Pan? You haven't been talking much," Bulla flipped over and started flying with her back facing the ground.

Pan inhaled sharply and managed to put a smile on. Marron cocked up an eyebrow, curious of what Pan was going to state.

"I just wonder what's going to happen tomorrow in science since we had a test today," Pan lied. She almost choked on a sob, but it was so tiny, no one caught it.

"Eh, don't worry about it, girl!" Bulla said, "You'll just take it tomorrow. You now have an extra day of studying for the test, thanks to me!"

"Gee, that sounds nice," Marron added in sarcastically. She rolled her eyes playfully at Bulla, who gave a scowl in return. The three girls laughed. Just like old times. Before misters got in the way of sisters.

* * *

Trunks quickly tapped the eraser side of his pencil against his desk, annyoing everyone around him. He didn't care for the glares he had been recieving the whole time. His mind was on the three power levels that were moving away from the school. Finally, Goten broke his train of thought.

"What up, man?" Goten whispered, just low enough for only Trunks to hear.

"Pan, Bulla, and Marron are skipping."

"Oh. . . WAIT MARRON IS SKIPPING?!" Goten nearly yelped.

Trunks nodded. "I can feel their power levels. They're leaving, alright."

"What should we do?"

"I don't know."

"I don't wanna take this cruddy test."

Trunks smirked. "Then, lets go."

Trunks shot his hand up and held his breath, making his tanned face go red. The teacher looked up with wide eyes, wondering what Trunks needed.

"Yes, Trunks?"

"I HAVE TO PEE! IT'S GOING TO EXPLODE!" Trunks cried out as he leaped for the classroom door, not waiting for permission.

"Oh no!" Goten said with the lack of feeling. He was a horrible actor. "Trunks is leaving! I shall go after him! Charge!" Goten said as he raised a fist and walked in a fast pace so he could catch up with Trunks.

At the doorway, Goten looked left and right to see which direction Trunks was heading for and sure enough, he heard the fast beating footsteps of our favorite lavender-haired kid. Goten then took off after Trunks, but before he could even turn on the next corner, his gym teacher walked right in his path, causing Goten to go back on his heels, making a loud, annyoing squealing sound.

"What are you doing, Mr. Son?" she barked. Miss Yallop was a very fat and pudgy lady. It's kind of funny to everyone that she's a physical education teacher, but she isn't fit herself.

"Uh," Goten started. Then he closed his eyes, put his hands behind his back, and tilted his head down a little. "I am supposed to get soemthing for my teacher," he said.

"Where's you hall pass?"

"Right here," Goten flicked on a wicked smile and dropped the hot potato. He cut the cheese, tooted, pooted, passed gas, let out a barking spider, laid the bomb, farted. Leaving the stunned gym teacher behind, he dashed, full speed to the window and found Trunks sitting in the windowsill.

"About time," he said.

"I ran into Miss Yellop."

Trunks let out a chuckle when he suddenly heard a scream.

"IT SMELLS!"

Goten punched Trunks' shoulder gently and said, "Let's go. We have a party to attend to."

* * *

"Ah, West City Mall! The perfect place to ditch school for!" Bulla said as she raised her arms in the air. She twirled and laughed.

Pan crossed her arms and looked at the ground, emitting no emotion, whatsoever. Marronn kept a close eye on Pan's activity. Was what Trunks told her really true? Was it really Pan who kissed him?

_But wait. Trunks isn't my boyfriend. He never was. To kind of think of it, it wasn't even a date. It was a setup_, Marron thought, a little hurt to hear the truth.

"If you guys won't talk, I'm leaving," Bulla said as she stared down at Pan and Marron. "I don't know what's up, but it's weird and it's messed up. It's about me, isn't it? Me and Valese?" Bulla crossed her arms.

Pan looked up with a hard expression.

"No it's not you," she mumbled.

"Then what the heck is wrong with you two?!"

Pan stayed silent. So did Marron.

"Bye," Bulla said as she waved them off. After a few steps, she was up in the air, flying back to Capsule Corporation.

A few minutes passed from Bulla's depart and Marron did not speak a word to Pan and vise versa.

Finally, Marron spoke up.

"Pan, did you kiss Trunks that night. That night when Goten and Bulla set us up?"

Pan merely nodded. Tears were on the verge of exploding.

Marron's jaw dropped ever so slightly. It was unbelievable. She didn't care if it was Pan. Marron balled her fists and closed her lips tightly. Pan never told her anything. She hid the information from her.

"I hate you."

The tears that have been threatening to come did make their way down Pan's cheeks.

"Why, Pan?" Marron was also crying. It hurt. Everything. The moment Pan nodded, pain came like a knife stabbing into her heart.

"I can't trust you anymore. I can't believe you've been hiding this from me. I don't care if you kissed Trunks! You j-just. . . Who am I kidding? Just leave me alone! Don't talk to me. I don't want to talk to you. Not until I'm ready," Marron muttered. Her hands quickly wiped away the tears and she took off at full speed towards home. It was the only comforting place there was.

Pan stared at her hands as the tears slid down her face. _I don't know if I can trust myself anymore_, she thought.

That night, Pan locked herself in her bedroom, refusing to eat dinner. Her eyes couldn't make anymore tears, so Pan lied on her bed, tightly hugging her orange stuffed bear. She dug her face into the softness of her teddy bear.

"You're so lucky, bear. You don't have to feel anything. I wish I could be like you so I don't have to feel anything, too," Pan whispered. She squeezed her eyes shut and tightened her grip on the stuffed animal, trying to sleep, but the guilt always came back to haunt her.


	7. Chapter 7

It's been weeks since the two girls talked to each other, but to Pan and Marron, it seemed like eternity. Each time they passed each other in the hallways, they'd act like they never met the other in their lifetime, but after they have gained enough distance, one would look back.

Their fight had been eating at themselves. They're slowly dying inside, but too hot-headed to show it.

At lunch, Bulla, Goten, and Trunks sat together at a table without Marron or Pan. It's not that they didn't want to sit next to them, Marron and Pan chose not to.

"So what's up with Pan and Marron, I mean seriously. Something is going on," Goten said as he played with his Sloppy Joe.

"No duh, Goten," Bulla said as she held an icepack up to her cheek. Lately, it's been throbbing and hurting, so the office gave her some ice instead of sending her home.

Trunks just stayed quiet and stared at his lunch. He didn't have much of an appetite.

They all sighed because this was a problem none of them could fix. It was only up to Pan and Marron now.

Pan sat alone up in the tree where it was breezy and quiet. She was high enough so no teachers could spot her, but she could see everyone and everything. Pan kicked back as her back touched the base of the tree. She gently closed her eyes.

"I haven't seen you here before."

Pan shot her eyes open and looked in the direction of the voice, but they were nowhere around her.

"I'm up here, silly."

She immediately looked at the thick branch above her and almost fell off.

"Who are you?" Pan shouted. She wanted to know how long this kid was up there and how long he's been watching her.

His skin was chocolaty brown and he had rich dark eyes and a pitch black mohawk that suited him very well. His jean cladded legs hung far over Pan's head and she saw that he was wearing red converse. The boy's shirt was exactly like the 'I Love New York' shirt, except it replaced 'NYC' with a picture of chocolate. He had a gray sweatshirt.

He let out a laugh at Pan's question like it was some kind of joke.

"I'm Uub."

"What are you doing here? How long have you been here? Why are you even here?"

"The question is, what are _you _doing here. After all, this is where I sit practically every day, you know," Uub said nonchalantly.

Pan looked down at her feet and began to twist them in any possible way.

"Friends. Who needs them?" Pan muttered angrily.

"Oh, so it's friend troubles, is it?" Uub asked.

She groaned, but didn't counter.

"Tell me what happened."

First, Pan hesitated, but there was something good about Uub. It was something about him that made her tell him. So, she did. Every single detail. Even the kissing parts. Through the whole story, Uub nodded and asked questions here and there, and after Pan was finished, she felt the weight on her shoulders had lifted.

"This is why I choose to not have friends," Uub said, "But, I can see why we need them sometimes."

"What do you mean?"

Uub jumped off his branch and landed, smack, next to Pan with a quiet _thud_.

"Because sometimes they'll help you through thick and thin," Uub said as he held up a fist.

Pan gave a questioning look, but then realized he was going to bump fists. She burled up her fingers and connected with Uub's hand. Something about it made Pan smile.

On the other side of the school, Marron sat on a bench with a bunch of other girls. Literally, she was dying of boredom because all the girls she was sitting with were talking about celebrities and cosmetics. Marron planted her face into her backpack and groaned, but no one heard over the giggling the girls were making.

"I think I'm going inside," Marron finally said.

None of the girls responded. They kept talking like she wasn't there.

_So much for friends_, Marron thought as she walked into the cafeteria and to the table where Trunks, Goten, and Bulla were.

"Hey, Marron!" Bulla said as she gave Marron a tight hug.

"Hi."

Trunks had completely zoned in on his shoes. He tapped and played with his feet a bit. He could feel Marron's powerful stare.

"So you guys want to hang out after school?" Goten asked, trying to settle the mood for the day.

"Sure!" Bulla said. Then she turned to Marron, "Wanna come too?"

Marron sighed, but nodded. She didn't see Pan anywhere near, so she decided it was safe to hang out for tonight.

"Yay!" Bulla squealed.

Footsteps echoed around the room and it was unmistakable. In walked Valese.

She was walking down the rows of tables like it was a fashion show or she was Miss America. She stopped and did occasional poses, but Valese was heading for Goten's table, of course.

Bulla clenched her teeth and awaited Valese's arrival. She hid the icepack so Valese wouldn't see that the bruise she had given Bulla hurt so much. Bulla put on her best smirk, a trademark from her father.

Finally, Valese arrived with a bunch of her friends and stopped a few feet away from the table.

"Hey, Bulla, how's your pretty face doing now?" Valese asked, her voice leaking out sarcasm. Unhurt by Valese's words, Bulla replied coolly.

"And I wonder if your legs are working okay because what you did in the cafeteria really worried me, my dear Valese," Bulla cooed as she made kissy noises. Even some of Valese's friends giggled, not at Bulla, but at her insult.

"I didn't come here for you," Valese said snobbily. She turned and looked at Goten with a sweet expression. Goten crinkled his nose. "Hey, honey, long time no talk, huh?"

"Honey? What are you? 40 years old?" Bulla asked.

Valese was infuriated by this comment.

"Shut up, you bi-"

"BICYCLING MONKEY?!" a voice boomed.

Everyone's head swiveled to Pan as she sauntered in.

"Yo, wassup?!" she asked the whole cafeteria. She was smiling broadly. "Oh, I know. Everyone but Valese's bra strap."

Defensively, Valese checked her arms, and fair enough, it was down.

The whole cafeteria laughed as Valese scrambled to put it back in place.

When Pan was close enough to Valese, she said, "You mess with my friends, you mess with me." Pan stubbed a thumb in the direction of herself.

Valese took a few steps back, bumping into her friends.

Bulla snickered, Marron cracked a smile, but covered it quickly.

"Stupid, bi-"

"BICYCLING MONKEYS!" the whole cafeteria shouted.

The whole place was filled with laughter as Valese walked out of the room, defensively wrapping her arms around herself.

"So, what's up? And I mean it. It's not a joke," Pan said as she took a seat in her normal spot.

"We were planning to go to the mall. Wanna join us?" Bulla asked like she was clueless of what was happening between Pan and Marron.

Trunks shuddered a little, but regained his posture.

"Sure," Pan said with the same nonchalance Uub used to talk with her.

Marron calmed herself down on the outside, but on the inside she was burning up –infuriated.

"Okay, then it's a plan! Better meet at the mall half an hour after school, got it?" Bulla said cheerfully to everyone.

Goten was the only one who nodded reluctantly, but everyone else either didn't reply or shrugged.

At Goten's house, Trunks lied on Goten's messy bed and stared at the ceiling.

"I don't think I can survive this one, Goten," he said.

"Don't sweat it," Goten said, "and what's the answer to number 45?"

Having all the answers memorized, Trunks said, "56.2."

"Thanks. Oh, would you look at that? It's almost time to go! Let's go!" Goten said.

"No," Trunks complained, but Goten threw a shoe at his nuts.

"OW!" Trunks cried as he leaped up from the bed to stop any more assaults.

"I said get up. Let's go," Goten said seriously.

"Fine."

In minutes, everyone landed at the mall pretty much at the exact same time, all except one person. Pan.

"Where is she?" Marron asked sharply, hoping Pan wouldn't show.

"Calm down, Marron," Goten said, "she's coming. Just wait."

Marron made an 'hmph' sound, crossed her arms, and looked another way.

Finally, after 5 minutes, Pan landed on the cement ground.

"Sorry, I'm late guys," Pan apologized, although it didn't sound sincere.

"It's alright! Now we're all together, just like old times!" Bulla said.

Pan nodded in agreement, but inside she was scared of what Marron might do or say, but she remembered Uub's words genuinely.

"I feel like having a smoothie, don't you?" Bulla asked, trying to spice up the mood.

"Sure-"

But Goten was cut off.

By a sound.

A very horrifying sound you would never want to hear.

A sound of a gunshot.

And the sound of a piercing scream.

Of a young girl.

And the sight of her blood dripping out of her heart.


	8. Chapter 8

Pan is in the ER.

Marron used the hospital walls for support as she tediously bit her thumb nail. Her blue eyes were sparkling with tears as she silently dies inside.

After a long moment of silence, the doctor opened the door and shut it behind her with a reassuring click. From the chairs, Goten and Trunks stood up abruptly with worried expressions. Bulla and Marron took steps in front of the taller boys and awaited the doctor to say something about Pan's condition.

The corners of the doctor's mouth curved up as she held her clipboard closely.

"Your friend, Pan Son, she's fine. We've successfully removed the bullet from her left atrium of her heart. It was risky, but she's a strong girl," the doctor said with a smile.

"Oh my gosh!" Bulla squealed. She hopped from one foot to another in a fast pace. Her hands clung onto Marron's wrist as they both did a little victory dance. They finished it off with a tight hug.

"She's really okay," Marron said. It was a relief to let those words escape.

Bulla nodded.

"When can she go home?" Goten asked.

"In about two weeks. She still has to recover," the doctor said as she glanced at her clipboard. "You can't visit her now. She's still asleep."

"Oh," said Marron. She let her hands fall down next to her sides. Marron looked up; her eyes longingly want to apologize for all those nasty things she's ever said to Pan. "When will that be?"

"I don't know. We'll call her parents when she's awake. For now, let her rest," the doctor said. With her clipboard in hand, she turned around and walked down the long, well-lit hallway of the hospital, leaving Pan's friends.

Trunks smirked. "Shall we go in?"

"Yeah," Marron said. It was barely above a whisper.

Trunks' hand pulled down on the handle and swung open the door, letting a shower of light pour in.

"Ahh!" Pan shouted, but her voice was soft and wasn't even close to a shout. "Do you mind?" Pan raised her arms to block the ray of light, but the IV stopped her from protecting her eyes.

"Sorry," Trunks said as he closed the door. Once again, the room was dark.

The four highschoolers stood in the dark watching Pan's silhouette sit up. A buzzing sound turned on the fighters' instincts, but they realized it was only Pan's bed adjusting. Lightly, Pan clapped her hands together twice and the lights came on.

"Pan!" Marron cried. Forgetting everything that has happened to both Pan and Marron, the blond rushed to Pan's side. "Are you okay?"

"Of course not. I'm in the hospital," Pan chuckled, but then she coughed.

"Do you need anything? I can go get you something," Trunks said as he turned towards the door.

Everything was silent except Pan's slow, shallow breathing.

"No, it's fine," Pan finally said. She stared at the ceiling where the lights were not. Her eyes were half-open and she couldn't feel anything, but she knew had a long stitch over her heart.

"Should we go?" Bulla asked, suddenly aware that Pan might not be in the condition to talk, even if she is part Saiyan.

No one replied.

Marron was the one who broke the silence.

"Pan, I am so sorry! I shouldn't have said that! I shouldn't have said anything!" said Marron. She slid down to her knees and cried into her hands. "You're the best friend anyone can ask for. Honest."

Trunks smiled and slipped his hands into his pant pockets. Her expression hardened and he frowned. Footsteps were headed down the hallway and they were fast. Everyone turned to look at the door and waited until Uub finally barged in.

"PAN, ARE YOU OKAY?!" Uub shouted at the top of his lungs. After that, it seemed his energy was drained and he started to breath heavily. "I BROUGHT YOU SOMETHING!" From his pocket, he took out a broken rose with the petals already falling off. "Whoops," he muttered as he looked at the dead plant. He tossed it aside and it apparently landed on Goten's nose and he sneezed.

"Yeah, I'm great." Pan straightened up and tugged at the IV, wishing she didn't have to have the needle injected in her arm.

Marron stood up and took a few steps back.

_She seems like a completely different person_, Marron thought as she held her arms close to her body.

"Sorry I couldn't get here sooner," Uub said as he knelt down beside Pan's bedside. "The whole school is in on this. Even Valese. Can you believe that?" Uub chuckled.

"WAIT, VALESE CARES?" everyone in the room said loudly. This included Pan.

"Are you serious?" Pan asked. Her eyes grew big, but then she burst out laughing. "Oh man, I wish I could've seen her face!"

Bulla cracked a smile.

"Well, I best be going. I've got a suspect to catch," Trunks said with his arms crossed and eyes closed. He turned towards the door and left the room in silence.

"That guy can't see danger when he should and I thought _he _was the smart one!" Goten muttered as he made his way to the door, but before he left, Goten said, "Better brace yourself, Pan. Your Grandma is coming. Have a nice day, Uub." With that, Goten trotted off and met up with Trunks.

_I don't think Pan needs our company, _Marron thought as she began to bite on her thumb nail again. As if Bulla had read Marron's mind, Bulla tugged on Marron's sleeve, and motioned silently for them to leave the hospital room. Following Bulla out of the room, Marron looked back to have a good look of Pan. She seemed happy, like her normal self. Marron smiled and the door closed.

"I actually skipped school to come here, you know. You're pretty hard to find, Pan," Uub said as he pulled up a chair so he could sit beside Pan instead of kneeling on his knees.

"Psh."

"I'm serious!" Uub said seriously.

"I know," said Pan.

Goten finally caught up with Trunks, only because Trunks had stopped in his tracks to think.

"Hey, where do you think you're going? I thought you had brains. I suppose all my homework answers are wrong then?" Goten said tauntingly as if Trunks were a child.

"I'm going to find this guy who tried to kill Pan," Trunks said. His pose was somewhat like the standing 'The Thinker'. Just cladded and not made of marble.

"Are you stupid? I know you are!" Goten shouted with a distraught face. Goten grabbed Trunks' shoulder and spun him around. "That bullet went straight into Pan's heart. What would it mean if that person shot _you_? I say we put this on delay and find some clues."

At first, Trunks was still absorbing the information and common sense Goten was trying to drive into Trunks' thick head and finally Trunks smirked like his father. With one hand, Trunks drove Goten's head down, which Goten escaped.

"You sure are pretty smart, Goten," Trunks said.

Goten fixed his hair, trying to make it look like it did before. "Whatever. You make a horrible hairdresser," Goten mumbled, irritated.

Trunks laughed. "Well, who do you think we should go to, Mr. Smarty Pants?"

"Not Mr. Underwear," Goten countered. "Anyway, I think Gohan would be the best person to ask for information."

Trunks nodded and he took off without warning.

"Hey! Cheater!" Goten shouted as he leaped into air and took off after Trunks just like old times.

Marron and Bulla walked silently down the hallway, trying to figure out their way out of this maze.

"Where are we? These pictures look the same. Have we been going around in circles?" Bulla asked drowsily.

"Yes, we have. I have no idea where _you're _going, but I know where I want to go and that's home," Marron said.

"No, you don't want to go home, Marron. The only want you want is to die –no, the only _need _you _need _is to die," said a dark figure in the shadows at the end of the hallway.

Frightened, Marron and Bulla sharply looked ahead and saw the shadowy figure.

Gathering all her courage, she released it out in her words.

"Who are you and how do you know my name?" Marron shouted. She curled her fist and with her free hand, she laced it into Bulla's hand.

"I know all about you and your _friend_. She's in the hospital if I'm not mistaken. And that's where _you'll _end up," the figure said.

"I'm not scared of you!" Marron shrieked, but it was a lie. She was scared to death. "If you want to fight, I'll fight!" Marron took a step back with Bulla.

"Why fight when I have this?" cooed the figure. It was clear now that the figure was female. The glare of the shiny object was clearly a gun. "It couldn't get rid of Pan, but the poison is working its way through her veins. Maybe you would be a more suitable victim."

The woman raised her gun with his index finger on the trigger and aimed it at Marron.

"NOW DIE!"

Marron didn't move. If she did, she wouldn't have made it either. She just waited for the bullet. She waited for her death.

The mystery lady pressed on the trigger and sent the bullet flying.

"Oh no you don't!"

Catching the whizzing bullet, Pan stood there with her IV in her arm, ready for any other flying bullets that were going to be shot at her friends.

"PAN!" Bulla shouted. She covered her mouth.

"No one messes with my friends," Pan said, but sounded like she was in pain. Slowly, Pan unclenched her fist and dropped the bloody bullet. Making a _clink _sound, the bullet landed, ricocheted, and rolled to Marron's feet. Her eyes were full of fear.

"So you're back for more Katchin Bullets, eh?"

"Katchin?" Marron uttered aloud, but clamped her mouth shut.

The woman leaped back into the shadows and somehow left the building completely.

All three girls stood there, shocked, but ready to defend if necessary.

"Ugh." Pan fell down to her knees and arms and started to have a coughing fit. The white floors of the hospital now had a section of coughed up black blood. Pan gripped her throat, trying to maintain her cough, but she couldn't control it.

"Help!" Bulla yelled, hoping to catch attention from a nurse or a doctor. She ran down the hallway to get someone to check up on Pan.

"I'm fine," Pan said after a small cough. "It's alright."

"Pan. . . Your blood is black," Marron muttered, but as afraid as she was, she dropped down to Pan's side and helped her up.

"My blood is black?" Pan asked unsteadily. She stared at the black liquid that shown on the pale white floors of the hospital. Walking blindly with Marron leading her, the two walked back to Pan's room.


	9. Chapter 9

Hello, it's 3picDragonBall and here are some replies to reviews. :D Thank you all, I really appreciate the constructive criticism. =)

Dbzultrafan: I LOVE SOUL EATER! :D AND I LOVE CRONA! HEHEHEHEHE! Soul Eater is one of the very few animes I've watched. o_o Though in this case, black blood doesn't help Pan. =)

dianaloveanime: Hehe! xD I hope to throw as much surprises I can! =]

On Pan's behalf, Marron left the room so Pan could rest. Marron leaned against the glossy, wooden door. As she closed her eyes, the sound of footsteps bounced off the walls of the hallways. Alert, Marron watched carefully who was rounding around the corner.

"Marron, I got the doctor," Bulla said as she gestured to the doctor.

"What's wrong, dear?" the doctor asked with concern in her voice.

"Pan coughed up blood. Black blood," Marron said just as low as a whisper.

The doctor rushed inside the room, slamming the door closed, leaving Marron and Bulla outside.

"What should we do now?" Bulla asked. "I'm sort of creeped out by this place." She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. "Can we go back home now?"

Marron nodded, half-listening to Bulla and half-watching Pan's door.

"Well let's go then!" Bulla said as she grabbed Marron and started walking down the hallways of the hospital.

The haunting lights shone above them, giving Bulla the chills, but Marron was on full-alert.

"We've got to find Goten and Trunks," Marron said as their pace quickened.

"Why?"

"We have to tell them all we know."

And with that, both Marron and Bulla ran right into Valese.

"Ow!" Valese cried as she landed on the floor.

"Sorry, we gotta go," Bulla said as she took off with Marron trailing behind.

"Hmph! The things I do," Valese pouted and started gathering the flowers her parents had bought for Pan. Supposedly, they told Valese to deliver it to her as a sign of kindness and tried to mend the bond they girls had torn apart.

_Who says there _is _a bond? _Valese thought as she stomped down to Pan's room.

Marron pushed the doors open and the girls trampled outside and into West City.

"Where would they be?" Marron asked, thinking for a moment. Getting shoved and pushed around by the busy workers didn't help one bit.

"I'll track their power levels," Bulla suggested over the noisy crowd.

Marron turned to the blue-head. "You can sense power levels now?"

Bulla rolled her eyes. "No. I'll just text Trunks." Bulla pulled out her cellphone and started texting Trunks. Once she sent it, there was an almost immediate response. Over the bustling, even Marron could here Bulla's ringtone.

"Hello?" Bulla asked into the phone, even though she knew who it was already.

"What do you want?" Trunks asked. "Is there some kind of emergency?"

"No. Where are you?" Bulla asked nonchalantly.

"You and Marron stay back. I don't want you guys to be involved with this."

"Why not?" Bulla pouted.

"It's too dangerous for a girl, much less two girls."

"Are you serious, Trunks? You jerk! Why-" Bulla said before Trunks hung up. She shoves the phone back into her pocket. "He's so ugh!"

"Ugh?" Marron asked with a raised eyebrow. "Hey, hand me your phone please."

First, Bulla hesitated, but then she handed her phone over to Marron. Speeding through like a zipping mouse, Marron was able to locate where Trunks was at using his cellphone as a tracker.

"Voila!" Marron said. She turned the screen around for Bulla to see. "Let's get going!"

With Marron leading, Bulla followed her through the sky and towards Trunks and Goten's location.

". . . and that's why we can deflect bullets," Gohan concluded. He then wrapped his middle and index fingers around the handle of his mug and took a sip of coffee. Trunks and Goten watched him silently, brains brewing. "Why did you want to know?"

Trunks straightened and sweat-dropped. He held his hands up in defense. "Oh, it's nothing. I just thought it was a bit odd, you know?" Trunks said nervously.

"Oh," said Gohan.

Suddenly, the door burst open with Bulla in the front and Marron right behind.

"Trunks!" Marron shouted, but there was no need to shout.

Trunks stood up, worried.

"What's wrong?" he asked after he had sped-walked towards his sister and friend.

"The bullets, they're made of something called Katchin," Bulla quickly said before anyone could intercept.

"Katchin?" Trunks questioned. "What's that?"

"Katchin?" Gohan mimicked. He stood up and adjusted his glasses. "That's the strongest metal in all known galaxies. Even the Z-Sword couldn't break it." Gohan started laughing nervously.

Everyone in the room stared at Gohan as he covered his mouth and recovered.

"No wonder!" Goten yelled in frustration.

"Gohan, if we get hit by a Katchin bullet, will it actually go _through _us?" Trunks asked, turning his attention back at Gohan.

"Yeah, if you mean all four of you, possibly even more if the force is great," Gohan said, thinking about it. "Why'd ja ask?"

Trunks gritted his teeth and curled up his fists. He had to tell Gohan, but just couldn't bring himself to it. At last, he said, "Gohan, did you know someone shot Pan? With a Katchin bullet?"

The mug Gohan had been holding fell to the floor and smashed into bits. The white pottery scattered everywhere and Gohan didn't even budge.

"What happened?!" Gohan shouted angrily. His temper rose and his hair began to flash blond.

"Calm down, Gohan!" said Goten. He walked backwards and shielded Bulla just in case and Trunks followed suit.

"Where's Pan?" asked Gohan harshly. He had no patience. "I said where's Pan?!"

"She's at West City hospital!" Marron cried, remembering the name.

Gohan dashed to the door and ran right through it. He took off faster than anyone had ever seen him fly.

"Trunks, we met the lady," said Bulla. Trunks and Goten turned around to listen more about what Bulla was about to say. "Pan caught the bullet, but it made a long, deep line on her palm and has injected some sort of poison in her bloodstream. I don't know what that means, or what the venom is, but it's going to kill her for sure."

Trunks' expression softened and he looked at the ground. Silently, they prayed for Pan's recovery.

With his head jerking upward, Trunks was once again ready to find out who the culprit was.

"You said she was a lady?"

Marron nodded.

"Could it be Valese? I mean she hates Pan's guts to the core," Trunks said, but was sure it couldn't have been Valese. With those scrawny arms, she couldn't even lift a pencil.

"That narrows it down," Marron said sarcastically.

Trunks snapped, literally with his fingers.

"Why didn't I think of this sooner? Why don't we kill the virus inside of Pan?" Trunks said loudly. Everyone looked curious, but continued listening. "If you have the same blood type, maybe you can shrink and kill Pan's virus like when Gogeta was inside Buu."

Nobody knew Pan's blood type though. It wasn't a topic teenagers would talk about.

"I think her birth certificate is in one of those files that Gohan has stored on his bookshelf," Goten thought out loud.

"Great," Trunks said as he walked over to Gohan's office. Goten gulped.

"But he doesn't want anyone in there. He'll kill all of us!" Goten said unsteadily.

"I'll take the chances," Trunks said as he waved it off.

Marron got an unsteadily feeling, but she didn't say a word.

Trunks walked solo into Gohan's office and looked through the files to find Pan's birth certificate.


End file.
